Watching their dream unfold has been a surreal experience for Michael and Olivia Viator.
“It’s new still,” said Olivia Viator, who along with her husband, Michael, launched Renovate Ballet about a year ago. The company is approaching the end of its first season. “It’s still sinking in that this is actually happening.”
The professional Christian ballet company will embark on its first international tour April 21.
“We’re partnering with a Christian, local dance studio in Guatemala,” Olivia Viator said.
The owner is an American woman who uses the studio as a faith-based outreach to children living there.
“She has a heart for ministering to the kids,” she said. “She’s teaching them dance, Bible, English classes.”
The company will perform in several locations as well as teach classes during the 10-day tour.
“They’ve never seen professional ballet. They are taking dance, but they’ve never seen it before. They are excited to meet professional dancers,” she said.
Renovate Ballet is headquartered in Augusta but has brought together dancers from all over the country including Michigan and Alaska. Michael Viator has been a part of the Augusta dance community for many years taking dance at Augusta Ballet (formerly Columbia County Ballet) before becoming a member of Ballet Magnificat, a Christian-based touring dance company in Mississippi, where he met his wife, who is originally from Washington state.
The couple married three years ago in Iowa where they were working for a pre-professional ballet company. They moved to the Augusta area in the summer of 2021.
While at Augusta Ballet, Michael Viator had his first tastes as a choreographer. For Renovate, they’ve created two core full-length pieces with more planned.
One is called Make Room.
“It has a Christmas version and non-Christmas version. It’s the story behind the meaning of Renovate. We created a ballet based on our name,” said Michael Viator.
The other is called Majesty.
“It has a story line, but Majesty is a little different more of movement/concept and is based on the throne room in Heaven,” said Olivia Viator.
They plan to add more pieces to their repertoire, and they’ve also created smaller pieces on request for specific engagements. They recently choreographed a special dance for an Easter service.
A free performance of Majesty is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 26 at Hopelands Gardens in Aiken.
The Viators are in the midst of company auditions for the 2023-2024 season and have a summer intensive planned for July. The company rehearses in a space at First Presbyterian Church.
The couple is planning events for next season, and Olivia Viator said they are for hopeful another international tour. There are several possibilities, but they are prayerfully considering where to go.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the publisher of Augusta Good News. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com
